I decided to get as much as I can done before school starts. There's a week left, dammit! That means less time for writing! ):
And yes, I lied. I got this chapter in quickly. The next chapter might come soon! If not, then by the middle of November to December. I'm going to go on a two month hiatus once school starts, yay...

I'm sorry if the characters are ooc! :( jaksldj. I tried to characterize them as best as I could. Unfortunately, this is all I could come up with. I'm so sorry! But, stormypeach1396, I'm so glad you're okay with it! ;;. That makes me super happy. Also ben4kevin, I'm okay! Thanks for your concern xD. And to those that cried...OMG I'M SO SORRY. I didn't mean for this fanfic to be that sad! LOL. :( Forgive this terrible authoress! ;_;

Thank you for your reviews! -heart- You all are so awesome! :D I love every single one of you guys!

Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn!.
Thank you permasmile FOR BEING THE BEST friend and editor! ;_; I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. And I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS, DONGSAENG. (:

Chapter 5 cryptic familiarity

Fran wondered how this one tiny baby had so much authority over people. Like, come on. Having suspicious, black-suited men following orders from a baby? Right now, the two had gotten into a limo that was making its way to the neighboring town, Namimori. That's where Mammon said he would meet another acquaintance of his. (Mammon was a boy? Geez, go figure.)

This infant really knows so much for a one year old, Fran thought, looking out the window and watching the blurs of houses and people going by. I wonder if something happened to him. Maybe some other villain turned him from an adult to an infant? Haha, that's crazy. I've been thinking weirdly ever since I found myself on that plane.

…I'm forgetting something important. I wish I knew what it was.

He saw blurs of two teens with a young child going by soon after the thought. His heart started racing all of a sudden and the boy quickly turned back to the window after having the moment of abrupt surprise. However, the limo was moving too quickly and he couldn't see the three others anymore. Fortunately, he managed to catch a look of one of them. It was the little girl. She had a single ponytail with an orange-colored, flower-looking tattoo.

She seemed…awfully familiar.

One of them in the group caused him to freeze everyone. Was it the girl? Naw, she did seem like someone I knew… Or know? But I'm sure it's not her. It's one of those teens that were beside her. Maybe one of them is that person I wanted to look for? But all three of them seemed happy instead of depressed. Probably not. I'm seriously becoming too inane over this whole thing.

Then again, what does this have to do with me in the first place? I don't really care about others in general. Then, why is this one, single person causing me to feel so hurt inside? It's like I could tell how he's feeling too… What kind of person has the ability express his emotions and have others feel the same as him? Is there any person as important as him? Even the president doesn't compare to this overwhelming sentiment.

The teal-haired boy let out a quiet sigh and turned to Mammon with an expressionless face. Said baby was right now looking out another window of the limo. Fran still couldn't believe he was tagging along to meet more strangers. The funny thing was, Mammon really didn't seem like a stranger. But whatever they shared wasn't a friendship or anything. It was something more than acquaintanceship, though.

What is Mammon, anyway? He was able to feel the force loitering in the air, like I was. Did he maybe happen to come all this way for the same reason as I did? But he said that he had to meet someone. Maybe not? But I feel as if our objectives are similar. Maybe he's an illusionist like I am? …That frog on his head in bugging me a lot for some reason. Stupid frog is making me think about myself. The hell.

I wonder if the person he needs to meet is also another baby with a pacifier like Mammon's. What's with that indigo pacifier, anyway? I've never seen babies carry one huge thing around their necks. …Now that I think about it, that thing looks like it's exerting some aura. A…mist like aura. Mammon really reminds me of myself, even though I don't think we're all that similar. But still, have we maybe been associated in something together in the past…?

"Hey, Fran. We're here."

Fran blinked, shaking his head a bit. He looked out the window to see that the limo had indeed stopped and they were in front of some strange gate. He noticed that Mammon was getting out of the limo, so Fran quickly unclipped the seat belt, grabbed his frog backpack, and opened the side door to get out.

The baby was walking on the pavement, instead of floating. Fran quickened his pace to catch up to Mammon. None of them talked during the walk up the long stairs as they walked side by side. The only sound heard was their footsteps, the periodic and soft howls of the wind, and the leaves that ruffled with the breezes.

By the time they arrived to the top, there was no one there. Fran was a bit confused and turned to Mammon, who let out a sigh at the same second.

"Stop messing around, Reborn, and come out."

Fran felt a presence coming from a tree nearby. No wonder he didn't see the person Mammon was supposed to meet. The other...baby was behind a tree, hiding from their view. Once the words spoken from Mammon were out, the hidden figure revealed himself. The teal-haired boy wasn't really surprised by "Reborn" being a, well, baby but the fact that he had a gun in his hand was scary.

What are these two? Super babies?

The gun changed its form into a chameleon with wide, yellow eyes. Even Fran's eyes showed surprise from that. It's not like anyone sees a chameleon who can change into a gun or any kind of weapon. That was definitely strange and weird. Especially babies in an expensive looking suit with a gun in his hand. Unlike Fran, Mammon walked over to the other as Reborn walked towards the darkly dressed baby.

Reborn stopped to take a look at the preteen illusionist, who gulped at the sudden glance. His eyes narrowed as a wave of familiarity washed over him. The teal-haired boy was someone he...kind of knew. But from where? Reborn wasn't so sure and was wondering why Fran was here in the first place.

"So," Mammon started to say, breaking Reborn's gaze away from Fran, "tell me. What did you call me for? You couldn't have called any of the others?"

"I'm surprised you came here willingly without asking for money," the baby hitman smirked. "Before I continue... Who is the kid behind you? Does he know about...us?"

Mammon took a quick look at Fran, who had a slight look of confusion although his expressionless face masked over the disorientation pretty well. "That's Fran, an illusionist like me. He doesn't know, but I don't think it's too bad if he does. It won't really make a difference. Oh, and Fran, that's Reborn. We're both associated with the mafia."

Mafia? And Mammon seems to be an illusionist, like I am. "That's pretty cool. The thing is I've never seen infants involved with the mafia. You two must have super powers or something."

"We're two of the seven strongest babies, being the Arcobaleno," Reborn said, deciding that it was okay to shortly explain. "Well, whatever. That's not the issue. Viper, the other day, I heard some...familiar looking students talking. My mind is kind of clouded right now. I'm not sure if I was eavesdropping, but I do remember something. These teens were talking about a mist attribute force circling around this certain person... Whoever he or she is, I can't remember. I knew what I wanted to say beforehand, but I can't think of it anymore."

Mammon saw that Reborn's hand was paling. The Sun Arcobaleno was starting to shake slightly (or violently?) and the baby illusionist could tell that Reborn was showing some emotion to this person, whoever he or she was. It was strange since the professional hitman never acted like this for anyone. Well, maybe for Luce, but no one else.

"I need your help," Reborn concluded, letting his fedora tilt forward to hide his eyes.

Everything is so...strange and secretive, Fran thought in his mind, clutching onto his backpack straps and biting his lip. Mist attribute force, huh? I'm guessing it's some kind of element. To call Mammon like this, it must mean that illusionists has the mist element or something? ...Then that must mean I can feel that force, right? Is it the thing that's been lingering around the air? It's faint, but it's there. And I know that this cryptic air is solely pointed to the person I want to help.

The person that Reborn is talking about and the person I'm anxious to assist must be the same. This guy...has been able to control my emotions, as well as Reborn's. I can already tell he's a bit like me – not expressing our feelings and all. ...I'm sure, now, that this person is not a stranger. He's all connected to us and most likely today, everything fell apart to absolute oblivion.

"This all feels familiar in a way," Fran stated, bringing attention to the both of them. "I want to help this person, too. There's something strange going on and this whole time, for a while actually, I've been feeling tense and confused. That person you were talking about, Reborn, is the same one I've been wanting to help. He's somewhere out there, wanting us to reach out to him. And because of him, well, I'm saying things that are too out of character for me. He's important. I know."

There was a silence following the preteen's comment. The air around them had been stiff, but relaxing at the same time. It was a weird thing to explain. The trio was most likely thinking about the same things – this force that was puzzling to them and the meaning behind this "person."

"Forgotten," Mammon simply stated, looking up to the morning sky. "That's the word I'm getting." He paused for a while, before his lip curved up slightly. "I'll help and I'm sure Fran will, too."

"Of course. I kind of want to get to the bottom of this, too. After all, I don't like being confused by an outside force."

. . .

The wind chimes were swaying back and forth with the wind, letting out soft, melodious vibrations in the air. The euphonious notes seemed to be describing the calm morning and was in tune with the gentle breeze. The morning dew was evident from the sparkles it shone from the early morning light. Fingers flicked on the grass, making the dew spray around the street. The single, innocent action made a young girl giggle with delight.

"Uni, let's get going!" Byakuran called out, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Tsuna and I are waiting for you!"

"Okay! Coming!"

The young girl got up from her crouching position. She dusted off her dress and hurried to catch up to the other two. Byakuran held out a hand, which she happily held onto. She motioned for Tsuna to hold her other hand, which he did with a smile. The three continued on their way like this, hand-in-hand. The neighbors they passed all waved to them or greeted them.

They were on their way to the shopping district to buy new clothes, supplies, food, and other necessities. Tsuna had said that he didn't need a lot of things and didn't want to waste so much of Byakuran's budget, but the albino-haired assured the other boy that there was enough money he had to last him a long time.

"I have rich parents who work overseas, so don't worry," Byakuran stated. "They always send me plenty, or rather too much, so you can waste as much as you want. Don't worry. They know I'm living in a new house with you two. They don't really mind as long as I'm doing well in my studies."

"Just let me know if you need anything, then," Tsuna said with a pout on his face. "I feel bad."

"Haha, sure. I'll let you know when that time comes."

The three walked down the quiet streets with light chats. It reminded the brunet of his other two best friends, Yamamoto and Gokudera. They would always go to school like this or hang out. Excluding the hand-holding part, of course. (Unless Yamamoto dragged the other two to school by holding hands and running with amazing speed.)

It's not that he would rather prefer the company of his best friends though. There was nothing wrong being with Uni and Byakuran like this! It's just that spending time like this with his new good friends made him feel like he was replacing the old memories. Many often said that trying new things is fun and even life-changing, but Tsuna couldn't find himself to forget the past. He didn't want to be reminded of the freezing temperature in his heart. Uni and Byakuran had melted some parts, but not everything.

It was a cold world out there. There was no way his heart was going to fully thaw if these memories kept taunting him. Every minute there was something that always reminded him of those valuable experiences were continuously killing him. Anecdotes played in his mind rapidly and repeatedly, engraving themselves with blowing blizzards that ironically burned his whole body. It was as if he was the only one highlighted in the world. Everything turned black and white, while he was the only one in color. Or was it the other way around?

Typhoons and tsunamis raged in the sky. No, his sky. The sky in his world. Lightning sparked, illuminating and emphasizing the dull darkness that represented his surrender of reality. The ground clouds gathered towards him, creating a mist barrier in which no one can reach for him. Ominous clouds accumulated and rolled across the sky dangerously, also covering the azure color it once held. Rain fell in the speed of bullets, destroying the land around him.

And yet the boy was burning inside, as hot as the sun. Being alone in this desolated world... It reminded him of the previous lifestyle he once had. The world where he stood alone. The world where everyone was bright, except him. The world where he was known as a nonentity.

He suddenly felt a tug on the end of his shirt. The bland world around him vanished, leaving no traces, and he was sent back to reality. He looked down, seeing Uni looking up to him with tears streaming down her eyes. Tsuna let out a gasp, feeling tears roll down his own eyes. She was gripping hard on his shirt, not bothering to wipe her tears or anything. Seeing Uni like this, Tsuna felt a tide of anguish hitting him wholly. Even Byakuran stood there with a cheerless face.

Did I make them like that...? The tears strolling down would not stop. Did I cause this grief to spread? I was...being selfish. I have these two important individuals in my world now, and yet I'm being reminded of how unfair my life is. They said they would help me...and I'm forgetting that. I've been so forlorn that I didn't notice they were sharing my pain with me. How can I do such an awful thing to them?

Uni hugged the boy tightly, burying her face in his shirt. She started wailing incoherent words that were mumbled in his shirt, but Tsuna knew she was saying that he was never destined to be alone or something along those lines. All he knew for sure was that she was crying for him and was hugging him like no tomorrow. She wanted to free him from the barren world he was trapped in. Not just her; Byakuran, too.

Despite his own waterworks, Tsuna found a way to smile and soften his gaze. He bent down and positioned himself so that he was now easily hugging the young girl back. She had her arms wrapped around his neck now. Byakuran had bent down to embrace the both of them with a small smile adorned on his face. Two cried while the last comforted.

"We're here for you. We'll always be here for you."

. . .

Reborn had been one of the people to see the touching sight, unnoticed by the trio who wasn't aware of the people watching them. Usually the baby hitman was apathetic about these situations and just ignored them, but this certain one was getting to him. It's not like he knew the three making the scene or ever met them in his scene. ...Or did he?

His heart stopped when he saw them, which forced him to watch them from afar. His fedora hid his face so just in case the trio saw him, they wouldn't know who he was. But why was he acting like this? For some reason, the hitman wanted to go up to them and say that everything was going to end okay. This really was not like him. He was supposed to be harsh and be indifferent to such annoying emotions. That's why he was a professional hitman who killed without regret.

Without...regret, huh?

At that moment, a rolled up letter dropped in front of him. He stared at the paper with narrowed eyes, observing it for a few seconds. It was an expensive type of paper, used by someone with a professional type of job. A thin red string was knotted around. Reborn could see a few sparks of fire coming out from the paper, but it wasn't the burning kind. That only meant one thing. It was a message from the Ninth.

Reborn picked up the tied, rolled up letter and undid the knot. He opened the paper to clearly see the Dying Will flame burning lively right on top of the Vongola Family symbol.

Reborn,

For some reason, I noticed that there is no one in line for the Vongola Tenth boss. Because of this, I've decided to hold an Inheritance Ceremony for the only candidate illegible for the Juudaime position. I welcome you to the ceremony that will be held in three days from now. I've sent invitations to many others, including the other Arcobaleno.

There's also another reason why I invited you and the other Arcobaleno. I would like to discuss it with you and the others as a group. I hope you see you all here on the day.

Timoteo

The baby put on a small frown, tipping his fedora upward. Casually, he rolled the letter back and put it inside his suit pocket. There was a candidate for the tenth boss, huh? He wondered who he or she was. That person would also have to have his or her own guardians, as well. When did they find someone that quickly? And this person...who was capable of the position? He would have to be strong.

Reborn shook his head, letting out a sigh. He was troubling himself with the possibilities and the thoughts. He decided to head to Italy to figure it out then during the ceremony. It didn't matter right now, anyway. All that he had in mind were the three back at the sidewalk...who were not there anymore.

Hm, wonder where they went... And who were they? How can they make me feel so...weird? They were...kind of familiar. ...Odd.

. . .

The trio was finished shopping with everything by the end of the day. Byakuran had gotten the new furniture to be delivered in a few days. They got groceries that would last them a week and all the necessities for school and stuff. It was a fun day for Tsuna, overall. During the shopping trip, the boy had momentarily forgotten about his friends which meant not saddening himself much. Spending time like this with Byakuran and Uni was something he did not want to erase. Ever. After today.

He felt special. There were many losses that happened since yesterday, but the boy had gained new friends. Uni and Byakuran were like Gokudera and Yamamoto, except the sky-attribute ones were more friendly. He had lost his friends, but there were new ones. No one replaced each other, of course. He was just glad that the nice air of friendship didn't disappear from his life. Uni and Byakuran were patient with him, too. It was so loving...

They decided to stop by a nearby playground to rest. Their bags were left on the side and all three of were chatting with each other by the swings. The sun was setting down, leaving a vibrant orange glow in the sky and the rest of the setting. Tsuna was glad that he was able to spend the sunrise and the sunset with them. Watching the miracle of nature on the day of their spending time was enjoyable. It even brought a fuzzy feeling to his chest. Seeking happiness like this was a miracle itself, for Tsuna, even with the turmoil in his heart.

He was watching Byakuran push Uni, who was giggling happily. Ever since Reborn came to his life, he had met such wonderful people, even if some were acquaintances. As time went by, he had gotten a hold of many great moments to remember. As days went by, their bonds only grew stronger. That's why he felt lucky. His relationships with everyone never went down.

Until yesterday, Uni and Byakuran promised they would do as much as they can to help. Help everyone else remember. And this was all for him. Tsuna couldn't help but feel luckier.

"Tsuna, push me!" Uni exclaimed, shooing the white-haired teen away.

He smiled brighter than this morning and nodded. The boy walked towards the back of the swing and started to push her back. She let out a sound effect of each swing...which got him to remember about the kids: Fuuta, I-Pin, and...Lambo.

He wondered how they were doing and where in the world they were. I-Pin was probably back in China training with her master, the Storm Arcobaleno. Lambo had probably left for his family, the Bovino Family. And Fuuta most likely left with the either of them or was safe with some other mafiosi. With their own families... He missed them so much. It wasn't going to be lively in his home life anymore. And he would actually get breakfast in the morning. Was that a good thing?

The reason all three of them were in Namimori was because of him. And now that they didn't remember him, all three kids would resort to whatever lifestyle they had beforehand. It was like that for everyone, too. A life without him...

He never knew his arms stopped pushing or that Uni was in front of him with a sad smile. His attention escaped from space once Uni gripped his hand. She put on the best smile, even having her eyes close into a joyous look. Byakuran had gripped his other hand with reassurance with a smile on his face as well.

"We'll have everyone remember in no time," Byakuran said confidently, hoping to reassure the brunet. "Based on what you've told us about what happened, I believe everyone is forgetting everyone else that was associated with your mafia life. That's why your mother didn't remember your guardians. So what I'm saying is that none of your guardians will remember each other and that applies to everyone you met after you entered the mafia world..."

"But don't worry!" Uni cried encouragingly. "We'll go through this together, Tsuna! No matter how hard it may be, I know we'll be successful! And then we'll triumph in the end because you're you, Tsuna! Everyone loved you, no matter who. Getting their trust back is something I know you will do well because all your friends trusted you wholly. I saw that when I was with you and your friends. There was a warm atmosphere between you and each friend of yours!"

"I hope..." He sighed, but he didn't seem to release happiness with the sigh. The boy was starting to feel more positive after hearing his two friends. "Thank you so much for doing all this for me. Really, I can't thank you enough. But, Uni...there's something I've been wondering about."

She tilted her head. "What is it?"

"Are you okay being here in Namimori? I mean, what about Aria-san and Gamma? Don't you miss your own family...?"

Byakuran gave her a look of worry as she dropped her head. Tsuna began regretting what he said since he could feel her sudden sadness overwhelming him. He bent down to give her a comforting hug, which she gladly took.

"She's...going to die very soon," Uni started to say, trying her best to keep her words flowing. "Probably in a few days. The same thing happened when I remember it. It was around this time that she was going to die. I should be there for the Family, but it's okay. Gamma's there, so he'll be able to look after things while I'm gone." She let go of the hug to show a small smile. "Besides, I chose to come here. I wanted to help you, Tsuna. You're very important to me. And don't feel bad at all! Byakuran would have done the same."

He nodded in agreement. "And I'm sure anyone of your friends would have done the same if they were in our positions."

The brunet pulled the both of them into a group hug. Both were surprised by the abrupt motion, but gladly returned the embrace. For the next few minutes, the only things that were present were a comforting silence and a strong sentiment of love and amity. Oh, and Reborn. But they never noticed him.

. . .

Reborn had watched the three from the entrance of the park. He was just making his way back, but had felt the familiar feeling from this morning, and of course it was the same three people he saw from before. He tried picking up some words from their conversation, but didn't want to risk being grounded out eavesdropping. The friendship between them was undeniably solid... It felt all too familiar.

This kind of relationship... He had seen it somewhere before.

He couldn't pinpoint the oddity of the nostalgia, so Reborn decided to take his leave...but not until he saw the flower tattoo on the girl's face. His mouth slightly opened with shock and his eyes widened from under the shade his fedora provided.

It was the same tattoo as Luce's.

. . .

A knock vibrated through the spacious room. After getting a response of permission, a maid entered the room and left a single letter on top of the coffee table in the middle. She bowed, staying in the position for a while, then took her leave.

Looking out a huge window was the leader of Varia, Xanxus. He let out a scoff before walking towards the table and snatched the letter in a fierce manner. He tore it open and roughly took out the paper with the handwriting he knew very well. His "father's" handwriting.

However, a smirk came up on his face. He tossed the letter into a trash bin and left the room.

Xanxus,

I hereby claim you as the new Vongola Tenth.

Ubergasp O: . Tsuna is now officially NOT Vongola Tenth, hurhur.

Thank you guys for reading! Reviews are welcomed! Tell me what you think? :)